The NMT Agenda debuted
in the South West!

The very first foray by NMT to the South West took place on 5 July at Doubletree by Hilton Cadbury House, a very beautiful former manor house outside Bristol.

Senior people from 27 nursery businesses were welcomed by editorin- chief, Dr Richard Hawkins, in a room that was built round an ancient stone wall and overlooked a lake round which everyone gathered later for drinks and supper.

There, in buoyant mood, attendees would be reflecting on a day of 15- minute meetings with 27 suppliers, interspersed by networking opportunities, tables groaning with hot drinks, fruit and Danish pastries and a restaurant-standard lunch. Business meetings over by 4.30pm, 60+ people gathered for the Q&A session, preceded by the ever-popular raffle.

And the winners were…

Dean Close Foundation Nurseries, who won a year’s subscription to the EyMan/EyLog Early Years Management System
Naturally Learning Childcare, who went away with a sand and water table from Community Playthings’ Outlast range
Tiny Toez, who won Kinderly’s Learning Journal programme
Acorn Early Years Foundation, who bagged a hamper of resources donated by Morleys.

The Q&A session opened with a clarion call from Cheryl Hadland, MD of Tops Day Nurseries to fight the good fight by raising your profile and bringing about change. Cheryl will be outlining her approach in the next issue of NMT. The lively interchange on topics from business rates and how to influence them to how to placate parents anxious about soaring temperatures brought the working day to an end.

All that remained was drinks and supper by the lake, followed by socialising into the early hours and then a comfy bed. All free.

And the verdict was…

“Amazing! I didn’t know what to expect, thought it might be timesharey, but how wrong I was.” Emma McCarthy, Golden Valley House Day Nursery
“I met some really interesting future suppliers. How nice to meet face to face – they really get to understand your business.” Betty Pike, Hollies Day Nurseries
“Full on, but really, really useful.” Fiona Parkin, Rocking Horse Nursery

If you are a nursery owner / managing director / operations director and would like to attend this unique event in the future, or if you are a supplier and would like to book space or a sponsorship package, please contact Caroline Bowern, email: caroline@hawkerpublications.com

Providers who attended were:

Acorn Early Years Foundation
Atelier Nursery Ltd
Daisy Fays Nursery Ltd
Dean Close Nurseries Ltd
Golden Valley House Day Nurseries
Good Manors Nurseries Ltd
Happy Days South West Limited (Happy Days Nurseries)
Hollies Day Nurseries LLP
Honeytree Day Nursery
Little Starz Nursery
Mama Bears Day Nursery Ltd
Naturally Learning Ltd
New Road Nursery (MC & SH Cawley Ltd)
Nuffield Health
Rainbow Smiles
Rocking Horse Nursery
Snapdragons Nurseries Ltd
South Hills Nursery Schools
Springfield Bees
Stonecroft Day Nursery Ltd
Sunny Days Children’s Nursery
The Old Station Nursery Ltd
The Wendy House Day Nurseries
Tiny Toez Limited
Tops Day Nurseries
Yellow Dot

Suppliers who attended were:

Christie & Co
Community Playthings
Connect Childcare
Creative Play UK Ltd
daynurseries.co.uk
dot2dot
Early Years Direct Ltd
eyMan – Early Years Management / eyLog – Early Years Log
Famly
FirstSteps Software
Hope Education
Hopscotch Early Years Consultancy
Kinderly
KOMPAN
Lifetime Training
Millhouse Manufacturing & Design
Morleys (Bicester) Ltd
Redwoods Dowling Kerr
Route2 Education Technology
Shout Aloud
TG Escapes Ltd – The Learning Escape
The Consortium Early Years
The Service Directory
Timotay Playscapes
TTS Group
Wesco
YPO

Sponsors:

Huge thanks to our Sponsors of NMT Nursery Agenda South West:

Main Sponsor: The Consortium Early Years

‘Pimm’s on the Lawn’/Drinks Reception Sponsor: Christie & Co

Dinner Sponsor: Connect Childcare

Raffle Sponsors:
eyMan – Early Years Management / eyLog – Early Years Log
Community Playthings
Kinderly
Morleys